Documentation research

I have been looking at ways to photograph my work and convey my research succinctly... but its really just scaring me because my photography skills are terrible and i keep seeing things i like.

This is such an amazing image - In my research i have never though about wrapping and the environment...

The simple light background works so well, making the rope become apart of the room - it just looks so soft.

http://michellesherkow.com/repository/page/7/

I loved the shadow used in this photo - i thought about this type of composition for my imprint documentation.

http://interartive.org/wp-content/uploads/p8260471-300x286.jpg

This is just a great, i am a little worried about documentation of the body - considering im looking at the whole body in most experiments. I would like to have strong images but i need participants that will be ok with this...

Development of pieces...

I have taken the wrong approach this week... i rushed and wanted to get all my elastic garments finished. Instead i spent the entire time trying to fix my mistakes. Woe is me.

My elastic pants were a disaster because they were too tight and no one could put them on, this makes me very sad because i spent around 12 hours on them and my fingers are raw from the pining....

After creating these wrapped 'garments' i attempted to tack and sew them together so i could get the same effect on the body after making the undergarments; this did not work well..... My elastic pants could not even fit 1 leg let alone two after taking them off the stand. Other wrapped pieces (like the above one) did not look as good the second time around on the body or mannequin, they were a little warped and didn't fit right. So from this painful week of work and analysing i have realised that my research and semesters work is about the wrapping process and feelings associated with this not the construction (sewing; being the aftermath.) These garments I have created will become process and impression documented outcomes rather than tangible pieces that will be worn again.

*These probably couldn't be understood without this documentation; the physical imprint and the psychological imprint.

Outcomes....

I have narrowed my development down and chosen a series of Flexible garments and Rigid garments;

These are overgarments to 4 plain stretch garments(undergarments) made from different textured fabrics.

The stretch garments, made from elastic wrapped around the body, these will be sewn together to make one 'garment' that can be pulled onto the body over the undergarment. This creates pressure on the body causing imprints on the skin and psychological imprints to the wearer.

These are the simple undergarments that will be made twice (one for each type of wrap)

Each on is made from a different fabric, showing a different feeling and imprint on the skin.

These are the Rigid garments - made from plaster. These are made by wrapping the garment with paster to create these looks. Each one is set and documented on the body. The process of taking off (or cutting off) this garment becomes the most integral part. Imprints are documented from the body and fabric. This is a completely different way of wrapping compared to the above elastic garments, looking at the immediate present and how a body responds to confinement.

Fabric Selections:

Ribbed - which will be used for the leggings

This plainer transparent stretch is great because it really highlights the lines of the elastic garment well. This would be used for the long sleeve dress.

Ribbed - Not sure whether i will use this because of the lack of stretch...... but i like the imprint.

This is my favourite! It has the coolest imprint, I am going to use this for my jumpsuit....

Wrap - Outcome Development

I gave a kit of things to my participant, these included;

- elastic bands of different widths and lengths

- a sheet with a hole in the middle

- some tulle with 3 large slices through

- some disgusting fishnet/stretch fabric

- elastic that i had sewn together for another experiment

She came up with some interesting things, most were quite predictable as she tried to anchor the fabrics at the waist and the bust also trying to put everything on at once was quite funny to watch...

There is also a faded imprint from one of the tighter bands on her arm, she said it hurt a lot but i didnt let her take it off - it still didnt have much of an effect after 5 mins.. although she didnt like it.....

On the manniquin

I began to look at the body in two parts - the undergarment which i started with just pattern pieces of a basic bodice and pants and anchored these to the body with the elastic. i created bands of different widths to fit at different parts of the body...

With these ones I began using one piece of elastic and wrapping the body numerous times, placing each layer specifically, then i pinned and sewed it together to make a top you can slip on. This method was quite a good one, especially working on the mannequin. i really liked some of the outcomes and could be executed well if designed well (on paper first) rather than just playing on the stand.

Relevant work

Maison Matrin Margiela Plaster Cast Jacket, this was a cast from his very first collection in 1989 - this was presented in his 20th S/S collection

This is not very relevant but i really like the lines used in this dress. Transferring this into elastic or plaster would be interesting to trial...

http://www.todayandtomorrow.net

Garment composition

Each garment is made of a series of layers/imprints;

The Undergarment – different fabrics will create different effects to the fabric itself and the body. The undergarment is made from a pattern piece; seams are not necessary. The pattern piece becomes a complete garment when the overgarment is added to the body.

The Overgarment - Made from a wrapping technique in either elastic or plaster. This can be put on the body over the undergarment whether this is clipped onto the body and pulled over the body.

The Imprint – this can be two fold; imprint on the body and imprint on the undergarment.

The Written Document – This is a documentation of the garment on the body in medical/scientific table. This has both the documenting of the garment (how it was made, wrap, materials etc.) and the personal experience of the wearer.

*I would like to make up some kits of undergarments plus a series of bands; These will be given out to people and I would document what they do with these bands and fabrics and their body. Essentially this would inform my design development and could even come to being one of the outcomes.

Plaster + Body = Garment

Some interesting works with plaster+body:

http://www.marlboroughgallery.com/galleries/chelsea/artists/magdalena-abakanowicz

http://melissaesplin.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/_dsc1749sm.jpg

Calvin Klein, spring 2001 collection: plaster silk tissue radzimir dress.

© AP/Wide World Photos.

world http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/Ki-Le/Klein-Calvin.html#ixzz0opUmOKF8

Some experiments i have done using my Rules for designing..........

This is a wrapped 'garment' using Plaster of Paris to anchor this fabric to the shoulders; this was hard to get off the mannequin and would not work on the body however if the shape was changed around the neckline to open it up more this would be easy to get on and off the body (over the head). I love the way the fabric hangs on the body after the plaster is added to the neck line, the hem line could also be changed with a curved pattern piece rather than a square piece.

**More experiments to be added

Outcomes Proposal - Week 12

GARMENT(S)

A series of garments will be created through a process that I have developed through my research. This process involves using fabric and pattern pieces in conjunction with wrapping techniques to essentially create garments; these can be wearable garments or non-wearable garments that would inform the design of another garment.

Rules for Designing?

• · Use fabric as a base; this could be stretch and weave (transparent and light mainly)
• · Pattern piece(s) are created and anchored around the body with the wrapping techniques
• · No seams, only fabric + wrapping to create tangible outcomes
• · Wrap with elastic and plaster predominately
• · Imprint both skin and fabric from wrapping
• · Essentially wrap forms shape; not the base fabric
• · Plaster and elastic can be used together or apart

PRESENTATION:

‘Garments’ will be shown, some on and some off the body – more like an art piece that informs other designs. Garments are pre-wrapped and method is described /documented in a photographic /pictorial sequence.

BOOK/FILM/POSTER?

Possibility of a book in conjunction of a poster, that will highlight the research and ties this in with final outcomes.

10% Allocation:

This will most likely be put towards my Book/poster combination or final outcomes. This will be resolved closer to the assessment date.

Related Works - Week 11

After the Mid-semester Critique, Nella from Craft Victoria mentioned a Contemporary jewelry designer/artist who would relate to my work;

Tiffany Parbs:

She looks at jewelry with direct relation to the body, reinterpreting 18th century medical tools to create works that 'carry with them an implication of an intimate relationship with the body'(Artlink, The 'Improved' Body: Animals and Humans, Vol 22 no 1)

I like the restriction in these works, i have looking at securing the body and making the wearer feel comfortable; these are very different works. Can i restrict the body? but in a way that the wearer is comfortable still?

Images from: ngv.vic.gov.au

Design Development

I have just started looking at my outcomes the past couple of weeks and i am still a little scattered on the entire idea. My concept (in writing) is defined but i have struggled to put pen to paper to start designing/developing outcomes. This might have something to do with not drawing in relation to the human figure since last year...

But i have put together a set of rules for my development of these outcome(s); since my 2d development was a completely horrid i will start working with the body and 3d experiments. This will hopefully define my outcomes and/or final presentation.

Rules for Designing?

• Use fabric as a base; this could be stretch and weave (transparent and light mainly)
• Pattern piece(s) are created and anchored around the body with the wrapping techniques
• No seams, only fabric + wrapping to create tangible outcomes
• Wrap with elastic and plaster predominately
• Imprint both skin and fabric from wrapping
• Essentially wrap forms shape; not the base fabric
• Plaster and elastic can be used together or apart

Why Wrap?

Through experiments with various people I found out many answers to questions that I was asking myself. I wrapped some people in different ways, and documented materials, processes and experiences by the volunteer for each one.

When being wrapped the key components made that made a person feel dressed were;

• The material was anchored at some point/s
• It was not going to fall off the body if there was movement
• Compression (not too tight)
• Mouth and eyes were not covered.
• Not feeling suffocated

Feelings of being dressed within various environments:

• Comfort
• Security
• Warmth
• Safe
• Protected

Swaddle?

Swaddling a baby; there is similar sensations in wrapping a baby as there are a grown form?

Babies are meant to feel protected, safe and secure through the layers of material that bind their skin. Creating a slight pressure around the baby's body that give them a sense of security which can help adjust to their new environment after birth. It was commonly believed that this was essential for the infants to develop proper posture.

The bed sheet exercise was interesting to see how participants wrapped themselves, responses were very similar; they felt protected and warm compared to other ways of dressing. The layering inherent to wrapping provides a sense of protection.

DID YOU FEEL DRESSED?

‘For me, dressing is essentially about covering up our naked bodies. Nakedness can be linked closely to feelings of vulnerability so when I was wrapped, I was covered up, so consequently I felt dressed. Whether I felt 'Dressed up' is a completely different question but that was something I didn't feel.’ Becky Smith

So many factors would contribute to each person’s idea of being dressed:

• Modesty
• Temperature
• Childhood/parents
• Past experiences of the person
• People or place
• Time

A comment that was interesting during fabric experimenting was the difference between a stretch and a weave fabric when wrapping and compressing the body; a stretch felt like it moved and existed with the body, like a second skin, whereas the weave fabrics with more stability existed separately to the body – as if it could not interact properly.

Dictionary.com defines wrap in many different ways..

To Wrap:

1. To enclose in something wound or folded about
2. To enclose and make fast
3. To wind, fold or bind
4. To protect with coverings, outer garments etc.
5. To surround, envelop, shroud or hide
6. To fold or roll up
7. To wrap ones self
8. To become wrapped, as about something; fold

Why wrap your body?

As a means of dressing, this way of dressing is a way of protecting the body and protecting the self. It is a shelter from the outside.

Being ‘wrapped up’ in something or being fixated on a certain thing. Could this be the clothing that you wrap around you?

As a relaxant? Or way of healing the body, Keeping alive?

Substances of Dress: Week 9

“1.2 Real Clothing

…We might suppose that these two garments recover a single identity at the level of the real garment they are supposed to represent, that the described dress and the photographed dress are united in the actual dress the both refer to. Equivalent, no doubt, but not identical; for just as between image-clothing and written clothing there is a difference in substances and relations, and thus a difference of structure, in the same way, from these two garments to the real one there is a transition to other substances and other relations, thus, the real garments forms a third structure, different from the first two, even if it serves them as model, or more exactly, even if the model which guides the information transmitted by the first two garments belongs to the third structure.”

Looking at “The Fashion System”, specifically chapter 1. Written Clothing, explaining the different garments; the written, the image and the actual garment. I applied this to my research and came out with many different outcomes or ideas dealing with the same ‘garment’

1. The wrapped garment; this is the act of putting on the body which could be seen as a different outcome to the actual garment once on the body.
2. The garment/material on the body (seen in real life)
3. The documentation by the wearer; a written document that explains the process, materials and feelings of the wearer.
4. Photographic evidence of the garment on the body; could be a fashion photograph or purely analytical.
5. Photographic evidence after the garment is removed; imprinting on the skin (if any) and what the body looks like after going through this processed.

Can it be better than the real thing?

‘units of real clothing, they cannot exist at the level of language , for, as we know, the language is not a tracing of reality’[1]

Can the ‘secondary’ clothing such as a photograph or description be better than the real thing? A sensation or feeling that a unit of clothing could give you could outweigh the excitement that the real clothing gives you?

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[1] Barthes, R 1990, ‘Chapter 1. Written Clothing’ The Fashion System, University of California Press, Berkley and Los Angeles. P.4

Mummification

This way of wrapping; to preserve the body rather than for comfort or modesty is interesting. Using the body as an entire unit to wrap rather than treating limbs separately.

I have directed my research towards looking at wrapping the body as entire rather than segregated parts. Research has made me focus on mummification a historical reference and swaddling, mixed with experiments with medical wrapping techniques. Through some experiments I have noticed that when wrapping the body, the way most people feel dressed is when there is whole or most of the body being covered.

During the 21st Dynasty, after the viscera were removed the body was stuffed, before the 21st Dynasty they restricted their packing to the head only. Later on the torso was filled, lower back, buttocks and legs and was stopped-up by a linen plug. This was the keep the body looking as real as possible and preserve the shape of the body.

These are just some fun teddy mummies which are nicely padded out...

Looking at body/shape manipulation in fashion,

Comme Des Garcons Bump Collection 1997:

I thought this cartoon was quite cool too: